(#4711) manchin isn't a leader he is a taker

      It is painfully obvious that manchin is not a leader. Instead he is one of those guys who likes to do well for himself. If he truly cared about his constituents he would be reasonable in helping them more so than himself. He would also consider that he is only 1 among 50 democratic caucusing senators who should be representing the whole nation. So it isn't just his West Virginia state citizens he should be helping but the whole of the United States of America citizenry. I often hear him say that his West Virginia citizens are the ones he listens to, which is a dubious claim, but that is selling short the other 49 states and several territories of their voices. He took an oath, "...I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...".
     He seems to have forgotten that he is a United States Senator, not just a West Virginia Senator. Since a vast majority of our national population supports the Build Back Better bill's agenda as well as voting rights protections it does make you wonder why he denies the human infrastructure bill and protects a racist archaic senate rule that keeps us from having free and fair elections. I know he doesn't see it that way but my question is why doesn't he? The reality is that we working middle poor class Americans have been under the thumb of the wealthy for far too long and he is all for us staying there when it doesn't have to be.
     Joe Biden was elected our president on the promises he made to improve our society and bring equity and equality more in line with a modern democracy. manchin was not elected our president yet he wants to dictate the agenda as if he were. His outsized ego is destroying what is left of our chance to make historic changes for the better to our society. Time is running out and he seems well set on ignoring the will of the people as well the will of his president. manchin is not an example of a leader. He is instead an example of what becomes of a man when he hasn't the highest duty nor respect for the democracy he exists within. His duty and respect is to something lesser than honor and principle which makes our future look very dim.